Students have covered genetics including structure of DNA, chromosomes, meiosis, and inheritance. Here, they are studying transcription and translation, essential components of the central dogma of biology- DNA to RNA to protein.
Lesson adapted from http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_edu/waldron/#dragon1, “From gene to Protein, Transcription and Translation”
Overview of lesson:
At this point, students have covered structure of DNA and chromosomes, meiosis and mitosis, and inheritance. In this lesson, students will be studying how genes translate and then transcribe into proteins- learning about codons, mRNA, determining an amino acid sequence, and also learning a bit about sickle-cell anemia.
Students make their own model paper cutouts of nucleotides into codons and eventually, into a “protein”.
Opportunities to Learn:
Depth of Knowledge
Prerequisite Knowledge
Plans for Differentiating Instruction
Accommodations and modifications
Environmental factors
Materials
Objectives:
Instruction:
Opening:
- Ask students to take out their homework, provide extra sheets for those students who do not have one, or who weren’t there.
- Go over where students had particular questions, and ask questions about vocabulary- “Now you know a bit more- what are genes?” “What is the purpose of ribosomes?” “Why do you think ribosomes are called the ‘powerhouse of the cell’?”
Engagement:
- Explain activity- start by modeling the DNA unwinding and RNA polymerase beginning to transcribe the DNA into an mRNA molecule, using an overhead sheet, and a colored overhead sheet for the RNA polymerase, so the students can see the drawing of DNA through the “working” and “moving” polymerase.
- A student will start to read the page, and I will ask them to pause and continue as I write down and draw exactly what is going on in the sheet, as it is a little complicated at first, and asking the students to write notes in the margins of their packet to help study from.
- Students will then break into groups once again- I will assign them into groups of three based on varying ability, since this task is somewhat difficult to grasp at first. After breaking into groups, they continue on with the packet.
- After a few minutes of checking status and answering questions, I will model the first few steps of the Translation modeling procedure (see page 6) for clarification before allowing the groups to proceed.
Closure:
- Collect packet, including previous night’s homework.
- Review Transcription and Translation on the board “So, what is the purpose of the polymerase here?”
- The very last page of this first activity- page 7’s questions - will be for homework
- At the very very end, students will be given a sheet of genetic engineering information- one from a source that is pro-genetic engineering and one that is anti-genetic engineering, they are to write the important ideas about what the author is trying to say at the bottom of the sheet.
Lesson Plan
Lesson Title: Building Proteins
State Standards: GLEs/GSEs
National Standards:
Context of Lesson:
Students have covered genetics including structure of DNA, chromosomes, meiosis, and inheritance. Here, they are studying transcription and translation, essential components of the central dogma of biology- DNA to RNA to protein.Lesson adapted from http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_edu/waldron/#dragon1, “From gene to Protein, Transcription and Translation”
Overview of lesson:
At this point, students have covered structure of DNA and chromosomes, meiosis and mitosis, and inheritance. In this lesson, students will be studying how genes translate and then transcribe into proteins- learning about codons, mRNA, determining an amino acid sequence, and also learning a bit about sickle-cell anemia.Students make their own model paper cutouts of nucleotides into codons and eventually, into a “protein”.
Opportunities to Learn:
Depth of Knowledge
Prerequisite Knowledge
Plans for Differentiating Instruction
Accommodations and modifications
Environmental factors
Materials
Objectives:
Instruction:
Opening:
- Ask students to take out their homework, provide extra sheets for those students who do not have one, or who weren’t there.- Go over where students had particular questions, and ask questions about vocabulary- “Now you know a bit more- what are genes?” “What is the purpose of ribosomes?” “Why do you think ribosomes are called the ‘powerhouse of the cell’?”
Engagement:
- Explain activity- start by modeling the DNA unwinding and RNA polymerase beginning to transcribe the DNA into an mRNA molecule, using an overhead sheet, and a colored overhead sheet for the RNA polymerase, so the students can see the drawing of DNA through the “working” and “moving” polymerase.- A student will start to read the page, and I will ask them to pause and continue as I write down and draw exactly what is going on in the sheet, as it is a little complicated at first, and asking the students to write notes in the margins of their packet to help study from.
- Students will then break into groups once again- I will assign them into groups of three based on varying ability, since this task is somewhat difficult to grasp at first. After breaking into groups, they continue on with the packet.
- After a few minutes of checking status and answering questions, I will model the first few steps of the Translation modeling procedure (see page 6) for clarification before allowing the groups to proceed.
Closure:
- Collect packet, including previous night’s homework.- Review Transcription and Translation on the board “So, what is the purpose of the polymerase here?”
- The very last page of this first activity- page 7’s questions - will be for homework
- At the very very end, students will be given a sheet of genetic engineering information- one from a source that is pro-genetic engineering and one that is anti-genetic engineering, they are to write the important ideas about what the author is trying to say at the bottom of the sheet.
Assessment:
Reflections
(only done after lesson is enacted)Student Work Sample 1 – Approaching Proficiency:
Student Work Sample 2 – Proficient:
Student Work Sample 3 – Exceeds Proficiency: